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Rf]. ROBERTS.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. l I. I918.

1 ,3 1 5, 988 Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

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bnrrnn STATES PATENT onnrcn.

RANEY J. ROBERTS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

warns-HEATER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatT, RANEY J. Ronnnrs, a citizen of the Ui'iited States,residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Water-ll-Teaters, and de clare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to water heaters, and its object is to provide asimple and ellicient construction for the heating of a body of water ina container, provision being made whereby a portion of said body isheated more rapidly than the main body, enabling hot water to be drawnfrom the receptacle before the entire body has become fully heated. Afurther object of the invention is to provide a construction including atubular member in which steam is produced by the burner and ejected intothe main body of water in the receptacle, and further novel features areinvolved in the construction of a portion of the receptacle providing apocket over the burner and the provision of a false bottom separatingthe lower part of the receptacle from the upper part, provisionbeingmade for a restricted flow from one part of the receptacle into theother under the influence of heat, the flow being forced by the ejectionof steam through the false bottom into the main body of water in thereceptacle. These objects and. novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the drawings Figure 1 isa vertical section of a water heater embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line y-y of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line w-w of Fig. 2.

The heater may be made in various forms for various uses, either as aheater of water for general purposes or as a water heater for portablebath tubs as shown in pending application Serial No. 263,653, filedNovember 22, 1918. The receptacle 1, in the construction here shown, isprovided with a cover 2 through which water may be introduced into thereceptacle, but water may be supplied thereto in any approved manner. Anessential characteristic of the receptacle is in the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1918.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

Serial No. 266,207.

provision of a false bottom 3 spaced some little distance above thebottom 1 segregating about one-fourth the volume of the receptacle fromthe main body thereof. This false bottom as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3,is provided with. two apertures 5 and 6 upon opposite sides to allow forrestricted circulation of water between the upper and lower sections ofthe receptacle. The main bot tom 41 of the device is convex at thecenter as indicated at 7 providing a cavity or pocket 8 on the lowerside directly above the burner indicated at 9. This burner may besupplied with fuel through a pipe 10 connected with any convenientsource of supply (not here shown). The convex portion 7 is apertured atthe uppermost point, and a tube 11 is connected therewith leading upwardthrough the false bottom 3 and opening through the side of thereceptacleas indicated at 12 providing a passageway for air from the upper side ofthe pocket to the atmosphere. By this arrangement, which provides a ventfor the pocket 8, the flame from the burner impinges against the entiresurface of the pocket, and without provision of a vent a dead air spacewould be formed preventing the full effect of the heat being transferredto the water in the tank. This tube 11 becomes heated by the passage ofheated air and gas therethrough and assists in heating the body of waterin the receptacle.

A U shaped tube 13 is provided in the bottom 4 as indicated particularlyin Fig. 3 having one leg 14 shorter than the other leg 15. The leg 15terminates just below the aperture 6 in the false bottom and the leg 14:terminates a greater distance below the aperture 5, and this tube passesthrough the pocket 8 as indicated and is directly subjected to the flameof the burner. The tube being open at each end is filled with waterwhich is thus pocketed directly over the burner and rapidly passes intosteam which flows out through the leg 15. As this leg terminatesslightly below the aperture 6, steam passing therethrough picks up waterfrom the lower chamber 16 between the two bottoms 3 and 4E and forces itinto the upper chamber 17 and thus assists in circulation between thetwo chambers. These apertures the chamber 17 has become materiallyheated. The purpose of this is to enable water to be drawn off throughthe valve 18 without having to wait until the entire body of water hasbecome heated. By making the tube member 13 with one leg shorter thanthe other, a siphoning effect takes place. The steam blowing out of oneend draws water into the other and a more rapid circulation is thusprovided for and the entire body of water is heated by the projection ofsteam into the larger body which is out of contact with the wall of thevessel directly heated by the burner. Without the use of the tube theentire body of water becomes heated only by contact with the lower wall1 of the receptacle. In the arrangement shown, not only does the waterbecome heated by reason of contact with this lower wall but the steamproduced in the tube is ejected into the body of water out-of contactwith the wall and the entire mass of water is heated more rapidly thanwould otherwise be the case resulting in an eificiency of operationwhich is one of the objects attained by the construction shown.

By use of the pocket described for the flame, the heat from the burneris localized, resulting in a more intense heat at a point of the bottomand causing a more rapid circulation within the lower chamber 16 thanwould be the case if the heat were dispensed equally over the wholebottom and, by this arrangement and the use of the tube 13, the heat isnot only localized as stated, but provides a space of intense heatthrough which the tube passes and the venting of the pocket prevents thespreading of the flame.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A waterheater comprising a receptacle, an apertured wall therein dividing thereceptacle into an upper major and a lower minor compartment, a burnerbeneath the bottom of the lower compartment, and a U shaped tube, thelegs of the U extending upward into the lower minor compartment and theconnecting portion between the legs extending through the bottom of thecompartment across the burner, one leg of the tube being greater inlength than the other, and a discharge valve for the said minorcompartment.

'2. In a water heater, a receptacle having the bottom wall thereofcentrally convexed, a burner beneath the convex portion, a tubeextending upward through the receptacle to the atmosphere providing avent for the pocket formed by the convex portion, and a U shaped tube,the legs of which extend upward into the compartment and the connectingportion of which extends beneath the bottom across the burner.

3. A water heater comprising a receptacle, a false bottom formed thereinhaving two apertures on opposite sides of the center, the bottom of thereceptacle having a convex portion, a burner therebeneath, a tubeextending from the top of the convex portion through the false bottomleading to the atmosphere at the side of the receptacle, a U shapedtube, the legs of which extend through the bottom of the receptacletermis nating beneath the false bottom, the open ends respectively ofthe tube being in alinement with the apertures in the false bottom, oneleg of the tube being of greater length than the other and the crossmember of the U passing through the bottom and across the burner, and adischarge valve for the compartment below said false bottom.

4:. A water heater comprising a receptacle having a convex bottom, aburner therebeneath, a tube providing a vent for the said convex portionleading upward through the receptacle to the atmosphere, and a U shapedtube, the closed portion of the U extending across the convex portionbeneath the bottom and over the burner and the legs thereof extendinginto the receptacle, one of the said legs being of greater length thanthe other.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

RANEY J. ROBERTS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

